Mid-days With Lauree

What are the chances you would lose your wedding ring 1300 miles from home only for it to be found by a complete stranger who happens to live 25 miles from you? Who says miracles don't still happen!

I'm about to tell you something that might get me in trouble with my wife, but I have to fill you in.If you've gone to an event that required a nice dress, than you have to make sure your man looks the part as well. And that's exactly what I thought I was doing! I bought a shirt I loved, I thought it looked great, but it wasn't wifey approved."It doesn't go with my dress. You know what let's go buy you a shirt." I'm good with it. Happy wife, happy life. We found a shirt that matched here dress. Good to go, right?"You know what? I think we should get some new pants to go with your new shirt that will match my dress!" We found the perfect pair of pants. Surely we'll be good to go."Oh, but look at these shoes! Hon, it'll tie it all together!" A full matching outfit.Needless to say, I think I'm going to look the part just fine!-Sonny

Friend, please hear this: God loves you because he chooses to do so. God's love for you isn't an obligation and it isn't hard for him to do so even if that's the way it feels sometimes. I don't know about you, but I'm so glad God's love isn't dependent on my feelings at all. My feelings change all the time, but his love never does because of Jesus.

In this episode of Old Dad / New Dad, Sonny and Josh get you ready to head back to school with some tips and learned wisdom to make it a great year for your kids!

As teachers are making their way back to school in preparation for the school year ahead, I want to take a second to celebrate the educators in our lives.

If you've ever lost a loved one, then you know how grief can just come in waves. This morning, out of nowhere, I was overcome by a feeling of grief. I was crying and I had no idea why, then a Facebook memory popped up and it all made sense. It was two years ago that my mother took her last breath on earth and had her first sight of Heaven.Thank you for all of your sacrifices for me, Thank you for loving me, thank you for being my mother. Love you forever, Susie. Lord, please give her a hug for me.-Son

Can you believe it is already August?? I am praying for you as we head into this new month. Heavenly Father, go before my friend with your guidance, your protection, and your peace. Please allow this month to be filled with your blessings (and some cooler weather wouldn't hurt either.)In Jesus name, Amen!

In my experience, clarity just starts with a willingness to listen. The same holds true with a conversation I recently had with a friend.

The next time you get the urge to blow your horn at the person in front of you, just try an have some patience. It might save you some embarrassment!I went to go grab some lunch at a fast food spot and the line was 7 cars deep. I knew it was going to take a while but it took longer because the car directly in front of me wasn't paying attention. 1 car length. 2 car lengths. Still no movement. I wanted to give the horn a little tap but I decided against it and luckily he looked up and moved forward. Less than a minute later, same thing. The cars in front of him we're moving but he just sat there. Patience Sonny, patience. Don't tap your horn. He eventually moved and we all caught up.Then I get a text and decided to check it and respond, by the time I looked up, that car that was in front me? 3 car lengths ahead! I couldn't help but blow the horn at myself. I see what you did there, God.

Some people need an attitude adjustment, and when I say some people, I mean me.

I don’t know if you saw pictures of the Balch Springs fire that destroyed 9 homes and damaged 26 others. Of all the images I saw, I think one picture summed it all up. It was of a man on his knees, slouched over, devastated. Gotta say, that picture brought me to tears, and when I’m brought to tears, I’m also brought to prayer. Father, comfort those who are grieving, we grieve with them. Be their peace, be their comfort. In Jesus name. Amen.

If you're anything like me, then you play the comparison game way too often. Friend, I want to encourage you with a piece of wisdom that was shared with me recently.

T-Minus 5 months to Christmas! What is your favorite Christmas memory?

The next phase of our KCBI Summer of Service, DFW Shoe Drive, is starting soon and I gotta be honest, this hits differently for me. Our goal with the DFW Shoe drive is to make sure no child has to worry about what they're going to have on their feet for the beginning of the school year and I understand this because I was one of those kids. Growing up in a single parent home in West Virginia, I know my mom did the best she could but we just didn't have money for new shoes. I remember my shoes had holes in the sole so I would put newspaper and cardboard in them to keep the bottom of my feet from getting torn up. I know how that feels.But I thank God for bringing me from that to where I am today to encourage you to help children right here in DFW focus on just being kids.

So my wife and I are a month away from celebrating our 26th anniversary, and a lot of the credit goes to something Mrs. Delfyette taught me early in our marriage called "Active Responsibility"."Hey hon all the dishes are dirty…" then wash them.  "Hon, I’m hungry..." then cook. For a long time I practiced "passive responsibility." That’s when you wait for your mate to tell you what to do and, according to a marriage therapist, it's one of the most frequent complaints she gets from wives about their husbands. Husbands, be your wife's partner. Serve her. Be an active responder.

As we continue to monitor the Chalk Mountain fires taking place about 45 miles from Fort Worth in Somervell County, I came across a post from one of our KCBI volunteers who happens to live near the area affected and I wanted to pass it along to you. "Please join me in praying for our community. Several active fires right now. Hearing reports that they lost two fire trucks and two squad cars to one of them. There is ash falling outside. If you have the capability to move livestock and are in the area, that is greatly needed as well."Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers for calm winds, rain, and protection of those battling to contain the fire damage And for those who call this area home, Lord, please help them to safely evacuate and keep your hand of protection over their homes. Amen.-Sonny

There's no doubt about it, our nation has it's troubles. But there's no other place I'd rather be.I remember meeting English speakers during my trip to Poland with Texas Baptist Men and each time I told them where I was from, their eyes lit up. Some asked me questions of what it was like to live in America and some expressed their desire to become a citizen one day. It may seem simple, but even where we live is worth celebrating.

Do you have a friend or family member you've been meaning to catch up with but just haven't had the time? A recent study shows even a 5 minute phone call creates a stronger reconnection that sending a text. I decided to put it to the test.

"One person can make a difference. You don't have to be a big shot. You don't have to have a lot of influence. You just have to have faith in your power to change things." - Norman Vincent Peale

Maybe you're new to North Texas and you're wondering "What are these rolling blackouts I'm hearing about?"First things first, you probably need to know who ERCOT is. ERCOT stands for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and they operate the state's electric grid. When they see how much energy they have and how much is demand and that number is near the same, they start these things called Rolling Blackouts. This means cutting power in one part of the state to allow for the rest of the state to keep its own. After one city or region may have their power cut for a few hours, the power company will shift where the power has been limited to another city or region—hence the term “rolling.”